Research has shown time and again that news consumption on print has plummeted in the last decade. Both print circulation and advertising revenue are shrinking for most publications. Many publishers have moved to digital-only offerings or are printing fewer days a week.

But two titles in North America that have shunned the pivot to digital, as it is shown by Dave Bidini from Canada’s West End Phoenix, a monthly publication in a Toronto neighbourhood, and Dan Jacobson from U.S.’ TriCity News, a weekly newspaper published in New Jersey.

“Slow print for fast times” is the slogan of the West End Phoenix, a monthly local newspaper for Toronto’s West End neighbourhood. Its founder and editor, Dave Bidini, launched the paper eight years ago. “I discovered that all of the community newspapers in the West End had disappeared, so I felt it was important to try to save the print media in our neighbourhoods,” he says.

This sentiment is shared by Dan Jacobson, publisher and founder of TriCity News, a weekly newspaper published in New Jersey. The paper describes itself as “an alternative newspaper focusing on the arts, culture and politics in eastern Monmouth County.”

According to Jacobson, the paper serves the creative spirit of the community, filling a niche that is underserved by other outlets. The first edition of the paper was published in 1999 and they have stood the test of time and technology.